Abstract: Goals for managing the South Florida coastal marine ecosystem emerge stepwise through the four activities of the Marine and Estuarine Goal Setting for South Florida (MARES) project. Ecosystem goals consist of the following elements: qualitative goals [for the ecosystem] (from the ICEMs); quantifiable ecosystem goals (from the QEIs); desired future conditions that address issues of concern (from consultation with managers); regional ecosystem report card; and recommended future research priorities.
The MARES Project focuses on goals and objectives. Therefore, it is incumbent on us not only to keep goals and objectives in sight throughout the project but also to be able to describe how project activities relate to marine and estuarine goal setting. This communication discusses the goals and objectives for the project as a whole, for elements of the project, and the more general topic of setting goals for regional management of coastal marine ecosystems of South Florida.

Availability: Available from the MARES website (http://sofla-mares.org/) and coastalocean@noaa.gov